Prioritised list of enhancement requests

<h2>Themes&nbsp;</h2>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>1. First class traditional 2D output from 3D model</strong>. Vectorworks has a reputation for great 2D capabilities. However when it comes to 2D output from a 3D model it falls short of expectations. In practice 2D output is critical to an architect’s workflow and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.</p>
<p><strong>2. Integration, rationalisation,&nbsp;simplification.</strong>&nbsp;There should only be one type of Viewport. Window and door tools should be merged. The Custom Selection and Criteria dialogue windows should be merged. Wall joins and component joins should be modes, not separate tools. Same with the curved walls. Handrails,<a title="Vectorworks Community Board – Integrate all bits and pieces." href="http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&amp;Number=179076">&nbsp;etc. etc.</a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>3.&nbsp;Teamwork.</strong>&nbsp;Vectorworks has been hobbled for too long now by the&nbsp;lack of inbuilt teamwork capabilities, relying instead on the archaic, inflexible OS filing system. We need modern teamwork capabilities to work efficiently and flexibly in teams on BIM.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Priority 1</h2>
<h3>1.1. Enhanced Workgroup Referencing for working in teams</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong><strong>Reason</strong>:</strong>&nbsp;Vectorworks design layers form a fundamental part of Vectorworks at a low level of programming. If we’re to have smart teamwork functionality then it is likely to&nbsp;have to be through Workgroup Referencing. That we need smart teamwork capabilities over the current&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>1.1.1.</strong>&nbsp;Ability to sign design layers in and out, so two or more people can be working on the model at the same time.<br /> <strong>1.1.2.&nbsp;</strong>Ability to edit workgroup referenced files and push the changes back to the model.<br /> <strong>1.1.3.&nbsp;</strong>Delta updating of workgroup references (i.e. only update changes, not the entire file).<br /> <strong>1.1.4.&nbsp;</strong>ArchiCAD has a system called ‘hot-linking’ where it is possible to create wall joins in the active file with walls in the referenced file. Similarly, wall healing occurs automatically in the reference file when hiding certain walls.</p>
<h3>1.2.&nbsp;Better BIM</h3>
<p><strong>1.2.1.</strong>&nbsp;Class naming support for more than 63 characters, as this limit prevents the full implementation of Uniclass 2.<br /><strong>1.2.2.</strong>&nbsp;Ability&nbsp;to use underscores "_" to form hierarchical Classes, in the same way we use dashes now.</p>
<h3>1.3. Enhanced 2D representation&nbsp;of models</h3>
<p><strong>1.3.1.</strong>&nbsp;We’d like the ability to control line thicknesses on elevation drawings, based on the distance the object is from the front of the elevation. In traditional 2D drafting the convention is to show closer elements with a thicker line.<br /> <strong>1.3.2.</strong>&nbsp;Sections should show the material’s "section"&nbsp;hatch properly&nbsp;(see 1.4.1.)</p>
<div>
<h3>1.4. Building materials</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Reason:</strong>&nbsp;to simplify the application of all related attributes and reduce conflicting settings in PIOs, Classes, Layers and Viewports.</p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div><strong>1.4.1.</strong>&nbsp;You define a material once, with a face hatch, a section hatch, a shade colour, a render texture, line weight and fill. "It just works" in 2D, 3D vector, 3D render (additional scale-sensitivity/alternatives would be a welcome addition).</div>
<div><strong>1.4.2.&nbsp;</strong><a title="Materials for Vectorworks – Part 1" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L4dKdjf6zk">Example</a>&nbsp;(video).</div>
<h3>1.5. Support for vector-based window elevation schedules and associative dimensioning.</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Reason:</strong>&nbsp;We shouldn’t be spending our time&nbsp;manually drafting window schedules and we should be able to present them in a traditional architectural 2D format.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>1.5.1.</strong>&nbsp;Ability to render vector-based hidden line elevations of windows/doors so we can dimension them, with associative dimensions.<br /> <strong>1.5.2.&nbsp;</strong>In the short term this could simply be an update to the new support for images in Worksheets but in the longer run we like to be able to layout window schedules in the traditional way, horizontally for each floor level.</p>
<h3>1.6. Multiple Model Windows</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Reason:</strong>&nbsp;A single model view on screen is archaic.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>1.6.1.</strong>&nbsp;Two is the absolute minimum for 3D work, so you can see your plan and a 3D view at the same time. Selections in one view also need to highlight in the other.</p>
<h3>1.7. 3D Reference Planes</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong><strong>Reason</strong>:</strong>&nbsp;It’s almost impossible to work accurately in 3D without reference planes.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>1.7.1.</strong>&nbsp;You draw a ‘guide’ line on plan: it shows up in section or elevation. You put your building grid on plan: that too shows up in section and elevation. You set your storey heights in the Organisation window: the elevation benchmarks show up in section and elevation. How can you coordinate a building without this?</p>
<h3>1.8. Automatic Views</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Reason:</strong>&nbsp;VW currently has&nbsp;Saved Views&nbsp;- entirely manual, and some very basic&nbsp;Preset Views&nbsp;such as Top, Front, Back, Right etc. This is not good enough for efficient BIM working.&nbsp;Compare this to Revit where if you add a storey, you automatically get a floor plan and ceiling plan view for that storey.&nbsp;VW has the structure to achieve this – it has storeys which have sub-layers, so it’s entirely possible to generate Automatic Views for storeys.</p>
</blockquote>
<div><strong>1.8.1.</strong>&nbsp;These Auto Views should self-populate the&nbsp;Views&nbsp;tab of the Navigation Palette, much like they appear in the Project Browser in Revit.&nbsp;Defaults could be set to include floor plan, ceiling plan, finishes plan for each storey. The preset Front, Back, Left, Right elevation views should also now appear in this tab.</div>
<h3>1.9. User Friendly Worksheets</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Reason:</strong>&nbsp;Worksheets/Databases are a cornerstone of BIM in architecture!</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>1.9.1.</strong>&nbsp;We need 2-way access to&nbsp;all&nbsp;data fields and parameters, this greatly increases the power of &nbsp;worksheets (among others, it creates the possibility to quickly change settings in a large number of objects throughout a file/project in one action).<br /> <strong>1.9.2.</strong>&nbsp;Two-way access needs to include workgroup referenced files.<br /> <strong>1.9.3.&nbsp;</strong>We need to be able to rotate all types of cell information including images, or see item 1.8.4.<br /> <strong>1.9.4.&nbsp;</strong>Database functionality for columns (as opposed to only having Database rows) this would solve the above issue and open up for extended presentation possibilities where alternative Worksheet orientation is important or necessary.<br /> <strong>1.9.5.&nbsp;</strong>We need clearer and simpler, understandable commands, functions and dialogs, this enables inexperienced users to quickly utilise the power of worksheets.<br /> <strong>1.9.6.&nbsp;</strong>We need extended enhancement in presentation options e.g.. it isn’t possible to simply rotate a worksheets on a Design Layer or Sheet Layer.</p>
<h3>1.10. Multiple Units</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Reason:</strong>&nbsp;We need the ability to use multiple units at the same time, e.g. metres AND millimetres in the same document.&nbsp;Site Plans are an example of where this is required – with elevation levels and coordinate points drawn in metres (with trailing zeros and three decimal places), but normal drafting (and&nbsp;&nbsp;dimensions) done in millimetres.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>1.10.1.</strong>&nbsp;Not just multiple dimensions, but units which can be used within PIOs likes the Stake Object, that have their own rounding settings and their own trailing zero settings.</p>
<h3>1.11. Stake Object Improvements</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Reason:</strong>&nbsp;The stake object needs correcting and improving to follow architectural convention.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>1.11.1.</strong>&nbsp;E above N (Eastings written above Northings)<br /> <strong>1.11.2.&nbsp;</strong>Z elevation level at the bottom, without an ID (currently only possible if using X,Y)<br /> <strong>1.11.3.&nbsp;</strong>Z value suffix option to be "AOD" by default or user string input<br /> <strong>1.11.4.&nbsp;</strong>Stake marker point option of a circle with a cross (unfilled)<br /> <strong>1.11.5.&nbsp;</strong>Dual metric unit support to allow metre values, to three decimal places, with trailing zeros in a document set to millimetres.<br /> <strong>1.11.5</strong>&nbsp;Auto-sequential numbering.</p>
<h3>1.12. Roof components</h3>
<p><strong>1.12.1.</strong>&nbsp;We need roof components in the same way that we have wall components and floor components. To be compatible with Materials (Item 1.3).</p>
<h3>1.13. Window and Door Tool improvements</h3>
<p><strong>1.13.1.</strong>&nbsp;<a title="Window Tool Improvements (2014)" href="../window-tool-improvements-2014/">Window Tool improvements</a>.<br /> <strong>1.13.2.</strong>&nbsp;<a title="Door Tool Improvements (2014)" href="../door-tool-improvements-2014/">Door&nbsp;Tool improvements</a>.</p>
<h2>Priority 2</h2>
<div>
<ol>
<li><a title="Revision Notes improvements (2014)" href="../revision-notes-improvements-2014/">Revision Notes improvements</a>.</li>
<li>Ability to offset the top and bottom of wall components of any wall instance without having to unstyle the wall. Accessed from the OIP.</li>
<li>Support for multiple core (structural) components in walls. (required for cavity party walls for instance, where you have a separate structural slab stopping on each side of the wall)</li>
<li>Ability to set textures of wall components to Use World Origin. And for this to be the default setting.</li>
<li>Ability for objects (PIOs) to have two corner attributes, so they can go from corner to corner in a wall. (e.g. windows with two corners.)</li>
<li><span style="line-height: 13px;">Ability to create corner windows that don&rsquo;t lose their sash configuration.</span></li>
<li>Ability to use the wall sculpting feature at and around corners.</li>
<li>Associative dimensioning everywhere, including all Viewports and Workgroup Referenced files.</li>
<li>Only one type of Viewport that encompass all of the present Viewport functionalities as well as the inclusion of associative dimensioning.</li>
<li>Ability to lock position of Sheet Layer Viewports.</li>
<li>Ability to save Door and Windows types, preferably as Resource Browser resources.</li>
<li>Ability for PIOs to be sensed and represented on other Storeys than the one they are placed on/connected to (like the stair tool can).</li>
<li>Ability to override classes in Sheet Layer Viewports from referenced design layer viewports.</li>
<li>Four-wall joins.</li>
<li>More flexible story system. Storeys that overlap, …</li>
<li><a title="Stair Tool improvements (2014)" href="../stair-tool-improvements-2014/">Stair tool improvements</a>.</li>
<li><a title="Custom Selection Improvements (2014)" href="../custom-selection-improvements-2014/">Custom selection improvements</a>.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Priority 3</h2>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><a title="UK localisation of building terminology (2014)" href="../uk-localisation-of-building-terminology-2014/">UK localisation of building terminology</a>.</li>
<li><a title="Better drawing organisation (2014)" href="../better-drawing-organisation-2014/">Better drawing organisation</a>.</li>
<li><a title="Better automatisation and customisation (2014)" href="../better-automatisation-and-customisation-2014/">Better automatisation and customisation</a>.</li>
<li>Ability to control the default view options when switching to a 3D view (e.g. perspective projection, uncropped perspective, render mode, etc.).</li>
<li>Ability to fit 3D Space objects to roof/geometry.</li>
<li>Now that we can auto-bind Spaces to walls we need the ability to add to and clip them like we can with Slabs (we need this in order to adjust area calcs around stairs and door openings for example).</li>
<li>Ability to run scripts at key moments like program startup/shutdown, file open/close, printing/export.</li>
<li>A better way to localise content. The current system with the plugin texts is too time consuming and must be done over and over.</li>
<li>Ability to write plug-ins in other languages than the old C++.</li>
<li>Ability to specify the standard Class for each type of object, even custom plug-ins.</li>
<li>Ability to specify a list of possible standard Classes for each type of object.</li>
<li>Ability to set if the user can override the standard Class.</li>
<li>Ability to have one base set and multiple extra sets of Classes.</li>
<li>Ability to save a visibility set of classes, to be used with Viewports.</li>
<li>Ability to register changes in the Class list, so VW can update older classes to the new ones.</li>
<li>When mapping hatches or tile fills, they still need to be by class. We need to be able to switch those fills and have the mapping stick!</li>
<li>Ability to use hybrid symbols inside roofs, instead of 3d only now.</li>
<li>Better push/pull like the ability to reshape circle holes with it.</li>
<li>Ability to control smoothing angle of Auto Hybrid objects.</li>
<li>Merge the Auto Hybrid into the symbols. Less is more, especially here.</li>
<li>New worksheets! They are really outdated and time consuming!</li>
<li>An updated Resource Browser, think folders for all resources, a search function, ordering on different properties.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Priority 4</h2>
<ol>
<li>The default view of hierarchical Class menus should be collapsed rather than open. And when we close an upper level Class the subclasses should collapse as well (or at least have the option). The whole point of hierarchical navigation is to be able to easily spot and dig down through items based on their hierarchy. You can’t do this when they’re open already.</li>
<li>Integrated plug-in store. Like Apple’s App Store but for third-party plug-ins within Vectorworks. With ability to rate and review plug-ins, pay for them, automatically install and update them, all within VW.</li>
<li>Ability for CAD managers to restrict users in what they can do, for helping them and maintaining an office standard. For example:
<ul>
<li>Editing the workspace</li>
<li>Forcing the use of a certain workspace</li>
<li>The use of certain plug-ins</li>
<li>The use of the attributes palette (All must always be by class.)</li>
<li>The use of classes (Only being able to use those found in the standard files.)</li>
<li>The use of several VW settings, like the origin which they may not use here.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
</div>

Good Priority lists you have created. Especially the model viewing without having to render – This is the No. 1 gripe in our office & why we still use sketchup for quick modelling/rendering.
Two other items I would add to Priority 1
1. The ability to have angled walls. This is a major hassle to model this at present.
2. When using ‘fit walls to objects’ Currently the walls end up with a horizontal top surface so any walls that meet pitched roofs, at the corners there’s an untidy junction created.
I’d like the ability to be able to select whether the walls have a horizontal top surface or have an angled top surface that meets the roof precisely.
Thanks
Brett